During integrated circuit device manufacturing, silicon wafers used in semiconductor fabrication undergo numerous processing steps, including deposition, patterning, and etching. With each step, it is often necessary or desirable to modify or refine an exposed surface of the wafer to prepare it wafer for subsequent manufacturing steps. For example, semiconductor wafers having shallow trench isolation structures require planarization of the dielectric material before further processing.
One method of modifying exposed surfaces of such wafers uses a process that treats a wafer surface with a planarization or polishing slurry with a plurality of loose abrasive particles dispersed in a liquid. Typically this slurry is applied to a polishing pad and the wafer surface is then polished against the pad to remove material from the wafer surface. Generally, the slurry also contains agents that react with the wafer surface and/or the abraded material. This type of process is commonly referred to as a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process. The surface of the polishing pad periodically must be dressed or conditioned, usually with an abrasive article called a pad conditioner, which typically has an abrasive or superabrasive surface. Such abrasive articles dress the polishing pad surface, and must withstand the chemical and processing conditions while retaining the abrasive in the article.